Vulcanizable polymer composition
The invention relates to a vulcanizable polymer composition comprising a) an polymer having an iodine value of lower than 400 g/100 g polymer, whereby the polymer is an elastomeric polymer that is a copolymer of ethylene, one or more C3 to C23 α-olefins and a polyene monomer, preferably a copolymer of ethylene, propylene and a polyene monomer are b) an organic peroxide having aromatic groups and c) a zeolite having a pore size of 3 to 6 Å.
1. A vulcanizable polymer composition comprising:
a) an elastomeric polymer having an iodine value of lower than 400 g/100 g polymer, whereby the elastomeric polymer is an M-type rubber (per ISO 1629) having a polyethylene-type saturated carbon chain;
b) an organic peroxide selected from the group consisting of: di(tert-butylperoxyisopropyl)benzene, tert-butyl peroxybenzoate, tert-butyl cumyl peroxide, dibenzoyl peroxide, di(2,4-dichlorobenzoyl) peroxide, di(4-methylbenzoyl) peroxide, and mixtures thereof; and
c) a zeolite having pore sizes of 3 to 6 Å.
2. The vulcanizable polymer composition according to claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric polymer is a copolymer of ethylene, one or more C3 to C23 α-olefins and polyene.
3. The vulcanizable polymer composition according to claim 2 , wherein the elastomeric polymer is a copolymer of ethylene, propylene and a polyene.
4. The vulcanizable polymer composition according to claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric polymer is ethylene, propylene, diene rubber.
5. The vulcanizable polymer composition according to claim 1 , wherein the organic peroxide is di(tert-butylperoxyisopropyl)benzene.
6. The vulcanizable polymer composition according to claim 1 , wherein the zeolite has pore sizes of 3.5 to 5.5 Å.
7. The vulcanizable polymer composition according to claim 6 , wherein the zeolite is a zeolite A type.
8. The vulcanizable polymer composition according to claim 1 , wherein:
the elastomeric polymer is a copolymer of ethylene, propylene and polyene;
the organic peroxide is di(tert-butylperoxyisopropyl)benzene; and
the zeolite has pore sizes of 3.5 to 5.5 Å.
9. The vulcanizable polymer composition according to claim 8 , wherein the zeolite is zeolite type 4A and/or zeolite type 5A.
10. The vulcanizable polymer composition according to claim 9 , wherein the composition comprises:
0.1 to 10 parts organic peroxide per hundred parts elastomeric polymer; and
0.1 to 20 parts zeolite per hundred parts elastomeric polymer.
11. A vulcanizable polymer composition comprising:
a) an elastomeric polymer comprising a copolymer of ethylene, one or more C3 to C23 α-olefins and polyene;
b) di(tert-butylperoxyisopropyl)benzene; and
c) a zeolite having pore sizes of 3 to 6 Å.
12. The vulcanizable polymer composition according to claim 11 , wherein the zeolite is zeolite type 4A and/or zeolite type 5A.
13. A process for the manufacture of a vulcanized article from the vulcanizable polymer composition according to claim 1 , the process comprising:
shaping the vulcanizable polymer composition according to claim 1 ; and
vulcanizing the shaped polymer composition.
14. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the shaping comprises at least one of: extrusion, calendaring, compression molding, transfer molding, transfer molding, injection molding.
15. A vulcanized article produced by the process according to claim 13 .
16. The vulcanizable polymer composition according to claim 1 , further comprising:
d): a filler present in an amount of 100-300 parts per hundred parts elastomeric polymer, and
wherein the zeolite is present in an amount of 0.1 to 20 parts per hundred parts elastomeric polymer.